As Ben Stokes hits 100 Test caps in Rajkot, five more members of that special club pay tribute: ‘He’s the only player to out-Botham Ian Botham!’

Ben Stokes on Thursday becomes the 76th player to reach 100 Test internationals, but few, even on that list of greats, have had such a powerful impact on cricket.

Mail Sport asked five members of the Hundred Club what makes the England captain so special:

David Gower

8,231 races during a test run between 1978 and 1992

The man is blessed with an enormous amount of natural talent, but he goes above and beyond as a cricketer because he strives for, and does achieve, his best every day.

The competitive sap flows in him more strongly than in normal mortals. He encompasses everything you think of when you hear the phrase “never say die.”

Simply put, he always wants to be at the forefront of the fight, regardless of the state of the game.

When I think about his career so far, the 2019 Headingley Ashes match stands out. He was amazing. It was a performance in which he outperformed Bothamed Ian Botham.

Alex Stewart

England’s most capped player (133) when he retired in 2003.

He is a match winner. Someone who single-handedly changes games, and there aren’t many like that in the modern game.

He has done it again and again. As a leader, he has taken things to another level. The results speak for themselves, but it was brave to destroy how cricket was played at Test level, along with Brendon McCullum.

Being brave as a team has paid huge dividends for England. I would always want him on my team. I love people who are very proud to play for England. He personifies that. And although he demands a lot from his players, he demands even more from himself. A totally selfless cricketer.

Mahela Jayawardene

He averaged 50 in Tests over 17 years for Sri Lanka

Ben is a once-in-a-generation player who has a unique ability to play under pressure in his own way and rise to the occasion.

Reaching 100 Test matches is an incredible achievement for any fast bowler and to see him play today with the same infectious passion he showed on debut is incredible.

He is a player who clearly loves Test cricket and the way he performed in this format, as a player and captain, defined his career and inspired those around him.

His most notable achievement is how he transformed the team’s approach, successfully encouraging all the players around him to play his passionate, positive and courageous brand of cricket.

Mark Taylor

He led the Australians to nine consecutive series victories between 1994 and 1998.

The impact he has had comes from the intestinal fortitude, or guts, to back up his instincts. England have thrown caution to the wind and are playing a very different brand of Test cricket to what they are used to. A style, I dare say, that has been very un-English in its approach.

Breaking the mold has endeared him to many people around the world. It was great to see an ultra-aggressive England team take on a more conservative Australia team last year, because it was a change from the way the Ashes series had gone in the past.

He also has perspective. We’re talking about a game, not a world war, and although you go in trying to win, losing isn’t so bad. I have no doubt that England’s way of playing is catching on.

Ian Bell

Partner of Stokes on debut in Adelaide in 2013

I gave him his Bunbury cap at the English Schools Festival when he was 15 and it has been a pleasure to watch his raw talent mature. The 2013-14 Ashes tour was tough enough, Mitchell Johnson was on fire, but there was firmness in Stokes when he first came into bat. His first test hundred at the WACA showed some of his strengths: drives, hook shots and drag shots.

In Test cricket, and in World Cup finals, he has been able to play his best in any situation.